Page 25 of Lust & Lies
“You will,” he said honestly, not sugarcoating a thing. “And when you do, I’ll be right here. Holding you like this. Every time it gets heavy, every time it hits you out of nowhere, I’ll be here to hold you and let you know you’re not alone.”
“If you keep this up, eventually, you’ll get tired of me,” I whispered.
“Impossible. I’m not going anywhere. You’re not just my wife, you’re my life, Noelle.”
I heard the sincerity in his voice, saw it in his eyes, felt it in his touch. He smiled, wiping the corner of my eye one last time before crumpling the napkin and tossing it onto the counter. His fingers returned, cupping my cheeks with a warmth that melted straight through my skin.
“We all have good days and bad days. In the future, there may be days when I start to feel overwhelmed, too. On those days,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “When I need a shoulder to cry on, will you let me cry on yours?”
That caught me off guard. Yet, it made me feel less embarrassed, less like a failure. It showed me that he wasn’t scared to be vulnerable in front of me. It made me feel like he needed me just as much as I needed him. Like we were truly in this together.
“Yes,” I whispered. “Whenever you need me, I’ll be here for you, Aiden.”
“Thank you, baby,” he murmured, his thumbs brushing along my jaw.
The tears had subsided. However, I wasn’t ready for him to move. I didn’t want to lose the warmth of his hands or the love in his gaze. I had a feeling he knew that because he didn’t step back.
He didn’t break the moment. He stood there holding my face, staring down at me like I was the most precious person in his world. Aiden’s thumb brushed across my cheek again, wiping away the remnants of my sadness, of my frustration.
Then, as if drawn by instinct, that same thumb swept lower, grazing the curve of my bottom lip. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. His gaze dipped there, lingering on my mouth before lifting to my eyes again.
“In the past, when you were sad,” he murmured. “You used to say that kissing me made you feel better.”
My brows drew together. “I did?”
He grinned. “No.”
A chuckle slipped out of me. I gave him a playful shove to the chest, still sniffling.
“You’re terrible,” I told him.
“Sometimes.” His smile deepened. “But maybe we can make that our new tradition. From now on, I’ll hold you when you cry, then kiss you until the sadness melts away. And you can do the same for me. How does that sound?”
God. This man.
I nodded, refusing to pretend as if I didn’t want him to do just that.
“I think I’ll like that tradition,” I admitted.
“You think so?” he whispered.
“Yes, Aiden,” I whispered back.
He didn’t waste time. He leaned in slowly, his eyes locked on mine like he was giving me a chance to pull away, an opportunityto change my mind.Not happening. I wanted this just as much as he did.
To prove it, I leaned in, meeting him halfway. Surprise flared in his dark gaze seconds before his lips met mine in a kiss that was so soft, so patient, it nearly made me swoon.
CHAPTER EIGHT
NOELLE
HIS MOUTH MOVED AGAINSTmine in a tender caress that nearly brought tears to my eyes. When my lips parted, he didn’t hesitate. His tongue slipped inside and found mine, stroking against it in a rhythm that sent shivers rippling down my spine.
Each glide was a tease, a promise. And when he kissed me deeper, coaxing my tongue into a slick, heated dance, I damn near moaned. The ache low in my belly twisted tight. My thighs clenched.
The kiss turned more passionate, and the ache inside me burned brighter. His hand slid up to the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair as he held me close, guiding the kiss with a quiet authority that melted away my sadness and frustration, leaving me with only one thing on my mind.
Him.
